Aside from record high temperatures in California, this week was a quiet one for Disney. With Pixar Pier and Toy Story Land both successfully up and running, the Company can focus on other things like the upcoming shareholders meeting regarding the potential Fox acquisition. Here are some of the biggest stories surrounding Disney from this week.
Disney Sites Experience Major Downtime
Disney Parks websites around the world (Tokyo excluded) experienced major downtime on Friday afternoon (EDT). Guests were unable to access the websites as well as dining reservations, and FastPass and MaxPass bookings on Disney apps. Other Disney sites were also plagued with issues including ESPN, ABC, Star Wars, DisneyMovieRewards and more. All sites were back to normal by late afternoon, however no explanation has been given as to the cause of the issues.
Duffy’s Friend Cookie Makes Her Debut at Hong Kong Disneyland
Cookie, an adorable dog who loves to bake, is the newest friend of Duffy and his pals. The lovable canine was the first of Duffy’s friends who did not debut at Tokyo Disneyland. Instead, Cookie made her grand entrance at Hong Kong Disneyland. All five of the Duffy buddies are getting ready to welcome another pal to their group later this summer. While many details are still secret, we do know that this new friend will make his debut at the Aulani Resort in Hawaii.
Fourth of July Celebrations
America celebrated its 242nd “birthday” this week and for those who weren’t at home to attend a BBQ or picnic, Disney Parks were the best place to be. Jeremiah reported on the festivities at Walt Disney World including another amazing performance by the Voices of Liberty. Cole showed us a look back at the extinct America Sings attraction at Disneyland, and Bekah relived her childhood memories with the 1988 4th of July Spectacular filmed at Walt Disney Word.
Disney Announces New Theme Park Select Pass for Florida Residents
This week Walt Disney World announced a brand new type of annual pass for Florida residents. The Theme Park Select Pass gives guests the chance to enjoy at least 325 days of access at select theme parks and 175 days of access to all 4 theme parks throughout the year. The Theme Park Select Pass will go on sale to Florida residents on July 9th.
Ant-Man and the Wasp Makes an Impact
Marvel fans around the country where excited for the latest installment in the MCU to hit theaters. This fun, lower stakes, super hero film might be on a smaller scale when it comes to the cinematic universe, but Ant-Man and the Wasp definitely makes a big impact:
- The Wasp (Evangeline Lilly) is the first female hero for the studio to share the film’s title and fans have been saying it’s about time.
- A partnership between Hyundai and Marvel made it possible for the car company to showcase three of their vehicles throughout the film. The Veloster, Kona and all-new Santa Fe, add some color and speed thanks to enhancing the clever escapes and an awesome car chase.
- Finally, Lawrence Fishburne joins the MCU as Bill Foster, a former colleague of Hank Pym. Being a comic book and MCU fan himself, Fishburne has wanted to be a part of this universe for a while, and Disney finally made it happen.
Other Stories of Note
Kingdom Hearts III receives early praise: Game critics at the E3 conference award the new title Best Role Playing Game.
Hocus Pocus the All-New Sequel: Alex reviews this young adult book that sees the return of the Sanderson sisters.
Epcot’s Candlelight Processional: Dates and celebrity narrators have been announced and dining packages for the holiday program will go on sale Wednesday, July 11th.
San Diego Comic-Com: Our complete guide lists all of the dates and times for Disney related panels that will be held at this year’s epic event.
Steve Ditko passes away at 90: The co-creator of Spider-Man and Doctor Strange led a very private life.
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